TASmith
January 16th, 2009, 12:05 AM
Here are a few notes on a lecture I gave on American art history (it's part of a series I'm doing about different aspects of America). My expertise for the job is mostly as an English teacher - most of the art history I studied in college is Italian Rennaissance, Post Modernism, and film history. So beyond what I've found and read online, I'm not an authority on the subject. I'm posting this to get a second take, and make next year's lecture better. So, please tell me where I’m wrong, and what I’m missing.
1. America is different from most countries in that its history is relatively short, and it's a country people come to. Many "American" artists were born in foreign countries, and/or traveled to foreign countries to learn their craft. So, it's sometimes hard to say who's really an American artist, or what it means to be one.
2. America has many great artists to be proud of, despite several handicaps during our founding:
America was settled principally by the British, who were weaker artists than othr nations of the time (1500-1600). While the Italians were enjoying the Renaissance and passing their knowledge up to France and German states, Britain was further away geographically, and usually at odds politically. It should be noted that every war between Britain and France had its counterpart in America. (I know there were also Dutch, French, and Spanish settlers, but I've never heard of any of them producing art - more information would be greatly appreciated)
America was settled by Puritans, who believed in poverty as a religious tenant, foregoing any and all decoration, and abhoring religious art, which was considered idolatry.
Even if the Puritans and other religious settlers had liked art, the harsh living circumstances of the New World left little time to make any.
Although Native Americans had a rich culture to draw from, Puritans felt it unchristian, and never incorporated it into their art (except, possibly for writing stories). Apart from this, there was no strong artistic tradition to draw from, no schools, etc. Just nature, and whatever folk art traditions that were carried over from Europe. The earliest known American artists were self taught.
Travel from America to Europe was dangerous enough at the time to limit most would-be artists from going where they might learn more.
3. Because of all this, there's isn't much American art to speak of until the 18th century. At this point portraiture, especially miniatures, became accepted and popular, as Americans got wealthier. Along with this, some people had scenes of their house painted, or boats. Several artists, such as John Singleton Copley and Benjamin West, became popular enough that people encouraged them to move to London, to learn more and increase their fortunes. There’s even a painting by Matthew Pratt titled “The American School”, a group portrait of several leading American painters… all standing in a studio in London where they went to study and work.
This is why the American Revolution was such a huge event – artists had to choose their loyalties. Benjamin West, for example switched from being the son of an innkeeper in Pennsylvania to being a portrait painter to the king of England, and co-founder of the Royal Academy with Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose respect he managed to gain. I haven’t read about his personal feelings, but he never acted against England, stayed in the kings favor, and became the second President of the Royal Academy, after Reynolds. It seems safe to say he was a loyalist. Copley was also a loyalist who moved to England. At one point before he’d left, he even had an angry mob of Bostonians come to his door, looking for a British Colonel. He did his best to paint as an English artist (stories from English history, etc), but still loved America, and probably felt a bit caught – an outsider in London, and an outcast back in the states. Here’s something I found from wikipedia: “He painted the Stars and Stripes over a ship in the background of Elkanah Watson's portrait on December 5, 1782, after listening to George III's speech formally acknowledging American independence. "He invited me into the studio," wrote Watson in his Journal, "and there, with a bold hand, a master's touch, and I believe an American heart, attached to the ship the Stars and Stripes; this was, I imagine, the first American flag hoisted in Old England.”
Meanwhile, there were also American artists who chose to rebel. Charles Wilson Peale was a saddle maker who lost his business when loyalists discovered his political leanings. Having no job, he turned to portraiture, studied under Copley, returned to Pennsylvania, and taught his brother James to paint. He and his brother took time out to fight the British in the war, survived, and then each had many children, all of whom they taught to paint. Charles named his boys after famous artists: Raphaelle, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Titian, all of whom became artists. The Peale family has several generations of artists (it might still have some today! Does anyone know?), and almost all the original family members painted portraits of America’s founding fathers. Rembrandt even traveled to France to study art under Jacques-Louis David, and this goes to show the turn-around in influence that occurred after the Revolution. I’m not sure whether this was politically motivated so much as Paris’ rising importance as an art center. But, from this point on, many Americans turned from England to France to study, leading us to the 19th Century and all its changes.
4. The 19th Century brought several major changes which effected artists. If it isn’t the greatest period in American art, then it’s certainly more varied and exciting then what came before, and it’s my favorite art period. Here’s what happened:
Thomas Cole (born in England) started the Hudson River School of painting – not a real school, but a group of painters who all followed a common theme of realist/romantic paintings of American landscapes. Even if the landscape tradition was carried over from Europe, the paintings showed scenery distinctly American, enough to produce the first distinctly American art. Leaders are Albert Bierstadt (born in Germany) and Frederic Church.
The first art schools in America opened, and older universities such as Yale, Princeton, and Harvard finally created art departments, so students could study art in America. The Art Students League was also founded at this time (1875).
The first museums in history began collecting and cataloguing art, viewing it in a new light, removed from the works’ intended purposes, and also redefining it.
The industrial age led to mass production of art materials, new paint colors and chemicals. It made art materials cheaper, available to more artists, and it created a new middle class, wealthy enough to buy art, leading to a much greater market.
The camera was invented, changing the role of painting, subject matter, artists’ approach to painting, and redefining Art. At the close of the century, art was seen less as a craft than as an intellectual, creative endeavor.
France was the leading art center, drawing many American students, and there were two schools to choose from: Realism, and later Impressionism. America has many successful students from both schools, and some who combined the two in their work. (at this point in the lecture, I scroll through a large list of images to show the change). These are the artists I show:
Charles Cromwell Ingham (1796–1863)
William Sidney Mount (1807–1868)
George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879)
Thomas Crawford (ca. 1813–1857)
Emanuel Leutze (1816–1868)
Martin Johnson Heade (1819–1904)
Eastman Johnson (1824–1906)
Seymour Joseph Guy (1824–1910)
McNeil Whistler (1834-1903)
John La Farge (1835–1910)
Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
Coleman, Charles Caryl (1840-1928)
Enneking, John Joseph (1841-1916)
Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)
Farney, Henry F. (1847-1916)
Bridgman, Frederick Arthur (1847-1928)
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) sculptor
Blashfield, Edwin H. (1848-1936)
William Merritt Chase (1849–1916)
Eaton, Charles Harry (1850-1901)
Daniel Chester French (1850–1931)
Thomas P. Anshutz (1851–1912)
Adams, John Ottis (1851-1927)
Julian Alden Weir (1852–1919)
John Henry Twachtman (1853–1902)
Beaux, Cecilia (1855-1942)
Alexander, John White (1856-1915)
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919)
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
Chalfant, Jefferson David (1856-1931)
Cooper, Colin Campbell (1856-1937)
Blum, Robert Frederick (1857-1903)
Dow, Arthur Wesley (1857-1922)
DeCamp, Joseph (1858-1923)
Churchill, William Worchester (1858-1926)
Willard Metcalf (1858–1925)
Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
Henry Osawa Tanner (1859-1937)
Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
Clarkson, Ralph Elmer (1861-1942)
Curran, Charles Courtney (1861-1942)
Irving Ramsey Wiles (1861–1948)
Albright, Adam Emory (1862-1957)
Cornoyer, Paul (1864-1923)
Robert Henri (1865-1929)
Couse, E. Irving (1866-1936)
Buehr. Karl Albert (1866-1952)
Conner, John Ramsey (1869-1952)
Alexander Stirling Calder (1870–1945) sculptor
Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966)
John Sloan (1871-1951)
Frieseke, Frederick C. (1874-1939)
Carlson, John F. (1875-1945)
Dunton, W. Herbert (1878-1936)
Bosley, Frederick Andrew (1881-1941)
George Bellows (1882-1925)
I know it’s a long list, but these are all great artists, and I always hate it when an art historian or history book dismisses really good artists. I think it also makes a point of the increased interest in art at the time. Anyhow, on to the 20th Century.
5. The 20th Century saw the introduction of Modernism, primarily in New York City. A particularly strong part of this was the Harlem Renaissance, originating in Harlem, NYC, which combined different modernist art movements in describing African American life. Modernism, as described by Gombrich had three distinct movements: Cubism (begun by Cezanne and Picasso), Expressionism (begun by Van Gogh, and influenced by Sigmund Freud), and Primitivism (begun by Gauguin). These movements further expanded and broke up into many varied approaches to art making throughout the century, which I consider as important to art history as the Renaissance in the 15th Century.
The 20th Century also saw the connection of east and west through the Santa Fe Railroad, which was completed in 1920, giving rise to a whole new era of Western artists.
During the Great Depression, starting in 1929, the US Government took a direct role in hiring artists and performers, as part of an effort to create jobs. Many projects resulted all across the country that can be linked to these times, particularly murals. One of the more famous of these muralists was Diego Rivera.
The 20th Century also witnessed the birth of mass media as an influencing forces of American life as never before, with the rise of Radio, Television, Film, Magazines, etc, creating mass culture as a product to purchase.
The 20th Century also saw the first time in US history where America switched from following Europe to leading in the creation of new art forms and movements, namely illustration, comics, and animation. On the fine art side, America began the movement of Abstract Expressionism, although one should note that many of these painters, labeled the “American School” were born in Europe: Mark Rothko, Willem deKooning, Piet Mondrian, Hans Hoffman, etc. The idea behind the movement was to paint one’s feelings and express oneself, through color and brush stroke/splatter alone, trying not to look in anyway representational.
6. Post Modernism began after the close of WW2, and rapidly grew around the Vietnam War. The term often confuses people, and the movement is really a group of smaller movements, each with different aims. I think the simplest way to think of it is as “Hippie Culture”, even though that’s just one, almost tangential aspect of it (the music, clothes, language, and drugs). Another way to look at it is that Modernism in about optimistic towards the future, and Post Modernism is pessimistic. Modernism says that the new way of life, with its technology and such will make our lives better – no one in 1900 would’ve predicted any World War. So art need only concern personal matters, such as the soul. It took several major wars to change people’s views, and realize that the modern world may not be so great after all. You can see the difference in the transition period, right before Post Modernism took swing – Minimalism. This short movement concerned itself with simple geometric shapes, as a way to create a perfect, balanced world… to create on canvas what doesn’t exist in real life.
Minimalist Painters:
Josef Albers (1888 – 1976)
Adolph Gottlieb (1903 – 1974)
Lee Krasner (1908 – 1984)
Gene Davis (1920 – 1985)
Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993)
Ellsworth Kelly (1923- )
Joan Mitchell (1926 – 1992)
Eva Hesse (1936-1970)
Frank Stella (1936- )
Robert Mangold 1937-
Sean Scully 1945-
Post Modernism saw a return to the figure, but with a new emphasis. Pop artists, such as Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauchenberg used mass culture not only for their imagery, but changed the whole process of art making, as a form of social critique. Advertisements were mixed in with car crashes and images of President Kennedy being shot. Each image is a puzzle, it’s meaning elusive. Some of Rauchenberg’s and Jasper John’s works had to do with their love affair, addressing the secrecy and fear associated with homosexuality in America at the time. Other submovements were Conceptual Art, Earth Art, Video Art, Performance art, Installations, Photorealism, and Feminist Art.
Conceptual art, not to be confused with Concept art, is art where the idea is all that’s important, and the final object is not. Any Warhol could be seen as the founder of this approach, in that he called his studio “the factory”, hired many assistants for his projects, and tried to de-personalize his work as much as possible. Another prominent figure of this movement is Jeff Koons, who imagines an artwork, and then finds some craftsman or factory to make it for him.
Earth or Environmental art is that which incorporates nature in the making of a piece and/or is friendly to the environment. An artist like Andy Goldsworthy never uses any toxic chemicals, instead going outside, and using found objects such as twigs, pine needles, and rocks, to form simple, geometric images, as installations. He then photographs the work.
Performance art can mean many things, but the main idea is that the artist “performs” in some fashion or other for an audience, either dancing, speaking, hiding, etc. The work can’t be bought or sold, only remembered (unless tickets to the event are sold), and you get a more intimate connection with the artist. I remember once in art school, a group of students sitting side-by-side on a stairwell so no one could get through, as their performance art project.
Installation art is a kind of sculpture, incorporating the space around it as part of the work. So, it’s different every time it moves to a new location. Installations can be temporary like performance art, or permanent.
Photorealism is a movement of painting, based on, and emphasizing the limits of painting from photographs. Although direct copies from photos, using image projectors or grids, the works often don’t feel real, and it seems that wasn’t the point. The point was to give their work the sense of a fleeting moment in time, such as people mid-step, although various artists obviously had different ideas in mind.
Feminist artists like Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, and Faith Ringold used art materials traditionally associated with women’s craft, such as porcelain painting and quilt making, and elevated them to fine art status, while their work addressed issues of equality and discrimination. There was also a group of women artists who called themselves the Gorilla Girls, who placed artworks in public places throughout NYC, and also published an alternative art history book.
Realism: While all this was going on, there were still realists painting, such as Andrew Wyeth, and Edward Hopper, although their imagery and compositions differed from the 19th century, due in some ways to Modernism. There were many realist painters in America in the 20th Century, but most were illustrators, such as Norman Rockwell.
7. This is about the end of the information I have, except to list my favorite artists working currently, such as Seth Engstrom, Nathan Fowkes, Scott Burdick, Robert Mentler, and the rest of you guys ;) making concept art. I also list a few comics artists, such as Ed Benes and Randy Green. But I could use a lot of help with these aspects of history.
1. America is different from most countries in that its history is relatively short, and it's a country people come to. Many "American" artists were born in foreign countries, and/or traveled to foreign countries to learn their craft. So, it's sometimes hard to say who's really an American artist, or what it means to be one.
2. America has many great artists to be proud of, despite several handicaps during our founding:
America was settled principally by the British, who were weaker artists than othr nations of the time (1500-1600). While the Italians were enjoying the Renaissance and passing their knowledge up to France and German states, Britain was further away geographically, and usually at odds politically. It should be noted that every war between Britain and France had its counterpart in America. (I know there were also Dutch, French, and Spanish settlers, but I've never heard of any of them producing art - more information would be greatly appreciated)
America was settled by Puritans, who believed in poverty as a religious tenant, foregoing any and all decoration, and abhoring religious art, which was considered idolatry.
Even if the Puritans and other religious settlers had liked art, the harsh living circumstances of the New World left little time to make any.
Although Native Americans had a rich culture to draw from, Puritans felt it unchristian, and never incorporated it into their art (except, possibly for writing stories). Apart from this, there was no strong artistic tradition to draw from, no schools, etc. Just nature, and whatever folk art traditions that were carried over from Europe. The earliest known American artists were self taught.
Travel from America to Europe was dangerous enough at the time to limit most would-be artists from going where they might learn more.
3. Because of all this, there's isn't much American art to speak of until the 18th century. At this point portraiture, especially miniatures, became accepted and popular, as Americans got wealthier. Along with this, some people had scenes of their house painted, or boats. Several artists, such as John Singleton Copley and Benjamin West, became popular enough that people encouraged them to move to London, to learn more and increase their fortunes. There’s even a painting by Matthew Pratt titled “The American School”, a group portrait of several leading American painters… all standing in a studio in London where they went to study and work.
This is why the American Revolution was such a huge event – artists had to choose their loyalties. Benjamin West, for example switched from being the son of an innkeeper in Pennsylvania to being a portrait painter to the king of England, and co-founder of the Royal Academy with Sir Joshua Reynolds, whose respect he managed to gain. I haven’t read about his personal feelings, but he never acted against England, stayed in the kings favor, and became the second President of the Royal Academy, after Reynolds. It seems safe to say he was a loyalist. Copley was also a loyalist who moved to England. At one point before he’d left, he even had an angry mob of Bostonians come to his door, looking for a British Colonel. He did his best to paint as an English artist (stories from English history, etc), but still loved America, and probably felt a bit caught – an outsider in London, and an outcast back in the states. Here’s something I found from wikipedia: “He painted the Stars and Stripes over a ship in the background of Elkanah Watson's portrait on December 5, 1782, after listening to George III's speech formally acknowledging American independence. "He invited me into the studio," wrote Watson in his Journal, "and there, with a bold hand, a master's touch, and I believe an American heart, attached to the ship the Stars and Stripes; this was, I imagine, the first American flag hoisted in Old England.”
Meanwhile, there were also American artists who chose to rebel. Charles Wilson Peale was a saddle maker who lost his business when loyalists discovered his political leanings. Having no job, he turned to portraiture, studied under Copley, returned to Pennsylvania, and taught his brother James to paint. He and his brother took time out to fight the British in the war, survived, and then each had many children, all of whom they taught to paint. Charles named his boys after famous artists: Raphaelle, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Titian, all of whom became artists. The Peale family has several generations of artists (it might still have some today! Does anyone know?), and almost all the original family members painted portraits of America’s founding fathers. Rembrandt even traveled to France to study art under Jacques-Louis David, and this goes to show the turn-around in influence that occurred after the Revolution. I’m not sure whether this was politically motivated so much as Paris’ rising importance as an art center. But, from this point on, many Americans turned from England to France to study, leading us to the 19th Century and all its changes.
4. The 19th Century brought several major changes which effected artists. If it isn’t the greatest period in American art, then it’s certainly more varied and exciting then what came before, and it’s my favorite art period. Here’s what happened:
Thomas Cole (born in England) started the Hudson River School of painting – not a real school, but a group of painters who all followed a common theme of realist/romantic paintings of American landscapes. Even if the landscape tradition was carried over from Europe, the paintings showed scenery distinctly American, enough to produce the first distinctly American art. Leaders are Albert Bierstadt (born in Germany) and Frederic Church.
The first art schools in America opened, and older universities such as Yale, Princeton, and Harvard finally created art departments, so students could study art in America. The Art Students League was also founded at this time (1875).
The first museums in history began collecting and cataloguing art, viewing it in a new light, removed from the works’ intended purposes, and also redefining it.
The industrial age led to mass production of art materials, new paint colors and chemicals. It made art materials cheaper, available to more artists, and it created a new middle class, wealthy enough to buy art, leading to a much greater market.
The camera was invented, changing the role of painting, subject matter, artists’ approach to painting, and redefining Art. At the close of the century, art was seen less as a craft than as an intellectual, creative endeavor.
France was the leading art center, drawing many American students, and there were two schools to choose from: Realism, and later Impressionism. America has many successful students from both schools, and some who combined the two in their work. (at this point in the lecture, I scroll through a large list of images to show the change). These are the artists I show:
Charles Cromwell Ingham (1796–1863)
William Sidney Mount (1807–1868)
George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879)
Thomas Crawford (ca. 1813–1857)
Emanuel Leutze (1816–1868)
Martin Johnson Heade (1819–1904)
Eastman Johnson (1824–1906)
Seymour Joseph Guy (1824–1910)
McNeil Whistler (1834-1903)
John La Farge (1835–1910)
Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
Coleman, Charles Caryl (1840-1928)
Enneking, John Joseph (1841-1916)
Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)
Mary Cassatt (1844-1926)
Farney, Henry F. (1847-1916)
Bridgman, Frederick Arthur (1847-1928)
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) sculptor
Blashfield, Edwin H. (1848-1936)
William Merritt Chase (1849–1916)
Eaton, Charles Harry (1850-1901)
Daniel Chester French (1850–1931)
Thomas P. Anshutz (1851–1912)
Adams, John Ottis (1851-1927)
Julian Alden Weir (1852–1919)
John Henry Twachtman (1853–1902)
Beaux, Cecilia (1855-1942)
Alexander, John White (1856-1915)
Kenyon Cox (1856–1919)
John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
Chalfant, Jefferson David (1856-1931)
Cooper, Colin Campbell (1856-1937)
Blum, Robert Frederick (1857-1903)
Dow, Arthur Wesley (1857-1922)
DeCamp, Joseph (1858-1923)
Churchill, William Worchester (1858-1926)
Willard Metcalf (1858–1925)
Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
Henry Osawa Tanner (1859-1937)
Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
Clarkson, Ralph Elmer (1861-1942)
Curran, Charles Courtney (1861-1942)
Irving Ramsey Wiles (1861–1948)
Albright, Adam Emory (1862-1957)
Cornoyer, Paul (1864-1923)
Robert Henri (1865-1929)
Couse, E. Irving (1866-1936)
Buehr. Karl Albert (1866-1952)
Conner, John Ramsey (1869-1952)
Alexander Stirling Calder (1870–1945) sculptor
Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966)
John Sloan (1871-1951)
Frieseke, Frederick C. (1874-1939)
Carlson, John F. (1875-1945)
Dunton, W. Herbert (1878-1936)
Bosley, Frederick Andrew (1881-1941)
George Bellows (1882-1925)
I know it’s a long list, but these are all great artists, and I always hate it when an art historian or history book dismisses really good artists. I think it also makes a point of the increased interest in art at the time. Anyhow, on to the 20th Century.
5. The 20th Century saw the introduction of Modernism, primarily in New York City. A particularly strong part of this was the Harlem Renaissance, originating in Harlem, NYC, which combined different modernist art movements in describing African American life. Modernism, as described by Gombrich had three distinct movements: Cubism (begun by Cezanne and Picasso), Expressionism (begun by Van Gogh, and influenced by Sigmund Freud), and Primitivism (begun by Gauguin). These movements further expanded and broke up into many varied approaches to art making throughout the century, which I consider as important to art history as the Renaissance in the 15th Century.
The 20th Century also saw the connection of east and west through the Santa Fe Railroad, which was completed in 1920, giving rise to a whole new era of Western artists.
During the Great Depression, starting in 1929, the US Government took a direct role in hiring artists and performers, as part of an effort to create jobs. Many projects resulted all across the country that can be linked to these times, particularly murals. One of the more famous of these muralists was Diego Rivera.
The 20th Century also witnessed the birth of mass media as an influencing forces of American life as never before, with the rise of Radio, Television, Film, Magazines, etc, creating mass culture as a product to purchase.
The 20th Century also saw the first time in US history where America switched from following Europe to leading in the creation of new art forms and movements, namely illustration, comics, and animation. On the fine art side, America began the movement of Abstract Expressionism, although one should note that many of these painters, labeled the “American School” were born in Europe: Mark Rothko, Willem deKooning, Piet Mondrian, Hans Hoffman, etc. The idea behind the movement was to paint one’s feelings and express oneself, through color and brush stroke/splatter alone, trying not to look in anyway representational.
6. Post Modernism began after the close of WW2, and rapidly grew around the Vietnam War. The term often confuses people, and the movement is really a group of smaller movements, each with different aims. I think the simplest way to think of it is as “Hippie Culture”, even though that’s just one, almost tangential aspect of it (the music, clothes, language, and drugs). Another way to look at it is that Modernism in about optimistic towards the future, and Post Modernism is pessimistic. Modernism says that the new way of life, with its technology and such will make our lives better – no one in 1900 would’ve predicted any World War. So art need only concern personal matters, such as the soul. It took several major wars to change people’s views, and realize that the modern world may not be so great after all. You can see the difference in the transition period, right before Post Modernism took swing – Minimalism. This short movement concerned itself with simple geometric shapes, as a way to create a perfect, balanced world… to create on canvas what doesn’t exist in real life.
Minimalist Painters:
Josef Albers (1888 – 1976)
Adolph Gottlieb (1903 – 1974)
Lee Krasner (1908 – 1984)
Gene Davis (1920 – 1985)
Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993)
Ellsworth Kelly (1923- )
Joan Mitchell (1926 – 1992)
Eva Hesse (1936-1970)
Frank Stella (1936- )
Robert Mangold 1937-
Sean Scully 1945-
Post Modernism saw a return to the figure, but with a new emphasis. Pop artists, such as Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauchenberg used mass culture not only for their imagery, but changed the whole process of art making, as a form of social critique. Advertisements were mixed in with car crashes and images of President Kennedy being shot. Each image is a puzzle, it’s meaning elusive. Some of Rauchenberg’s and Jasper John’s works had to do with their love affair, addressing the secrecy and fear associated with homosexuality in America at the time. Other submovements were Conceptual Art, Earth Art, Video Art, Performance art, Installations, Photorealism, and Feminist Art.
Conceptual art, not to be confused with Concept art, is art where the idea is all that’s important, and the final object is not. Any Warhol could be seen as the founder of this approach, in that he called his studio “the factory”, hired many assistants for his projects, and tried to de-personalize his work as much as possible. Another prominent figure of this movement is Jeff Koons, who imagines an artwork, and then finds some craftsman or factory to make it for him.
Earth or Environmental art is that which incorporates nature in the making of a piece and/or is friendly to the environment. An artist like Andy Goldsworthy never uses any toxic chemicals, instead going outside, and using found objects such as twigs, pine needles, and rocks, to form simple, geometric images, as installations. He then photographs the work.
Performance art can mean many things, but the main idea is that the artist “performs” in some fashion or other for an audience, either dancing, speaking, hiding, etc. The work can’t be bought or sold, only remembered (unless tickets to the event are sold), and you get a more intimate connection with the artist. I remember once in art school, a group of students sitting side-by-side on a stairwell so no one could get through, as their performance art project.
Installation art is a kind of sculpture, incorporating the space around it as part of the work. So, it’s different every time it moves to a new location. Installations can be temporary like performance art, or permanent.
Photorealism is a movement of painting, based on, and emphasizing the limits of painting from photographs. Although direct copies from photos, using image projectors or grids, the works often don’t feel real, and it seems that wasn’t the point. The point was to give their work the sense of a fleeting moment in time, such as people mid-step, although various artists obviously had different ideas in mind.
Feminist artists like Judy Chicago, Miriam Schapiro, and Faith Ringold used art materials traditionally associated with women’s craft, such as porcelain painting and quilt making, and elevated them to fine art status, while their work addressed issues of equality and discrimination. There was also a group of women artists who called themselves the Gorilla Girls, who placed artworks in public places throughout NYC, and also published an alternative art history book.
Realism: While all this was going on, there were still realists painting, such as Andrew Wyeth, and Edward Hopper, although their imagery and compositions differed from the 19th century, due in some ways to Modernism. There were many realist painters in America in the 20th Century, but most were illustrators, such as Norman Rockwell.
7. This is about the end of the information I have, except to list my favorite artists working currently, such as Seth Engstrom, Nathan Fowkes, Scott Burdick, Robert Mentler, and the rest of you guys ;) making concept art. I also list a few comics artists, such as Ed Benes and Randy Green. But I could use a lot of help with these aspects of history.